Hallows Not Horcruxes
by RockSunner
Summary: This is an AU. Would Harry still make the same choices in his mission without the example of a friend's noble sacrifice? Spoilers for DH.
1. Shell Cottage

**Hallows Not Horcruxes**

This is an AU about what would have happened if Dobby had lived. Will Harry make different choices about his mission? The characters belong to Rowling, not me. Spoilers for DH.

**Chapter 1**

Bellatrix Lestrange was desperate. Harry Potter was escaping and she had summoned the Dark Lord! She flung her silver knife at Harry, hoping to wound or distract him enough to stop him from Disapperating.

A drop of the blood she had drawn from the Mudblood's throat had trickled down to the knife's handle. Her fingers slipped, and the knife flew a half-inch too far to the left and embedded itself in the far wall. Harry Potter, the traitorous house-elf, and the goblin disappeared. Bellatrix screamed in frustration and fear.

----

Harry, Dobby, and Griphook hit the ground hard, and Harry fell to his knees. He could smell salt in the air, and he could just make out a cottage in the dark distance. He lowered the whimpering goblin to the ground and turned to Dobby, who was standing a few feet away.

"Dobby, is this the right place? Are we at Shell Cottage?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry Potter," said Dobby happily. "Harry Potter is safe here."

Harry breathed out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you, Dobby. Without you... it would have been curtains for us. How did you find us? Did Dumbledore send you?"

"Yes, Harry Potter," said Dobby.

"But how? Was it his portrait? Or is he alive?" Harry asked in astonishment.

"Aberforth Dumbledore sends Dobby. He has other half of Harry Potter's magic mirror," Dobby said.

"That explains the bright blue eye I saw," Harry thought.

Bill and Fleur, Luna and Dean, came out to meet them.

"This goblin is wounded," said Harry. "We need help to get him inside."

"I'll take him," said Dean.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked.

"She'll be all right," said Bill. "Ron's taken her inside already."

Luna leaned down and hugged Dobby. "Thank you for rescuing us from that cellar. You're so good and brave."

"Dobby would do anything for Harry Potter," said Dobby.

They all went into the cottage. Harry saw Hermione lying on a couch, twitching from the aftershock of the Cruciatus curses she had suffered. Ron knelt beside her, holding her hand. Fleur went to get Skele-Gro for Griphook. Bill rushed off to get the Weasleys out of the Burrow, since they would no longer be safe there.

Harry went outside and paced around the yard. They had barely escaped again and this time it was all his fault. If he hadn't stupidly blurted out that name, after Ron had warned him not to, Hermione wouldn't have been tortured and nearly fed to a werewolf.

Enough bumbling around! It was time for action. But what was it to be? The Hallows, or the Horcruxes? Harry still leaned toward the Hallows. Dumbledore had written that Hallows sign in Hermione's book as a clue. They weren't his main mission, but they were tools, just like the Gryffindor sword that Dumbledore had given him. Wouldn't an unbeatable wand make his mission easier, and make it easier to protect his friends?

"Dobby should go back to Hogwarts before Dobby is missed," said the house-elf, who had come outside without Harry noticing.

"Dobby, wait a few more minutes, please," said Harry. "There's someone I need to talk to, and then I may need your help."

"Dobby stays if Harry Potter wishes," said Dobby. "Who is Harry Potter talking to?"

"Mr. Ollivander," said Harry.


	2. The Wandmaker

**Chapter 2**

Harry and Dobby went up to see Ollivander. Harry would have liked to bring Hermione and Ron along, but she was in no shape for this and Ron wouldn't leave her side.

Harry knew there was no time to lose. His connection with Voldemort showed him that the Dark Lord was in a towering rage, punishing the Malfoys and Bellatrix for letting the prisoners escape. Soon though, he would be back on the trail of the Elder Wand.

Ollivander was lying down in an upstairs bedroom. "Harry my boy, I can't thank you and your house-elf enough! I thought I would die there in that horrid place."

"Dobby isn't mine. He's a free elf," said Harry.

"Because of Harry Potter, so Dobby is," said Dobby.

"I have some questions for you, if you feel up to it," said Harry.

"Certainly, I'll be glad to help," said Ollivander.

"First, can you identify these wands?" said Harry, handing him two of the wands he had taken from Draco just before their escape from Malfoy Manor. Ron had the third one.

"Walnut and dragon heartstring, twelve and three-quarter inches, inflexible -- the wand of Bellatrix Lestrange. Hawthorn and unicorn hair, exactly ten inches, somewhat flexible -- this used to be the wand of Draco Malfoy."

"Used to be? Isn't it still?" said Harry.

"If you took it from him, its allegiance will transfer to you," said Ollivander. "The wand chooses the wizard."

"I grabbed it out of his hand," said Harry. "But I've heard of a wand or wands that have passed from hand to hand by murder."

"Only one wand," said Ollivander. "Legends call it the Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, or the Deathstick. It had a long and bloody history, but it has disappeared in recent decades."

"How do you know that it's the same wand?" Harry asked.

"There are certain characteristics that crop up again and again in the tales," said Ollivander. "For example, the wand is described as 'afire' or 'shot through with flame'. That leads me to believe it's of reddish flame-elder wood, and it may have a phoenix-feather core."

A hazy recollection stirred in Harry's mind. Somewhere recently he'd seen a wand like that...

"You-Know-Who is looking for that wand, isn't he?" asked Harry.

"Yes! How did you know?" asked Ollivander in a shocked voice.

"Never mind how. I know, just like I know that you told him about the twin cores in our wands," said Harry.

Ollivander looked horrified. "Please forgive me! I had to tell him that a borrowed wand would work better against you. The pain was unbearable."

"But my wand destroyed that other wand," said Harry. "You-Know-Who wanted to know why."

"Y-Yes, but I couldn't tell him. I still don't understand it."

"Then you told him that Gregorovitch might have the Elder Wand."

"You know so much it terrifies me. Yes, I told him that rumor. I think Gregorovitch started it to enhance his reputation. I had to tell him something to make him stop the torture. Please don't blame me."

"One last question," said Harry. "What do you know about the Deathly Hallows?"

"I've never heard of them," said Ollivander. "Are they wands?"

"Thank you for your time," said Harry, cutting off the interview abruptly. They left Ollivander, who was still pleading for forgiveness.

"Harry Potter was very hard on Mr. Ollivander," said Dobby sadly.

"At least three people died because of what he told You-Know-Who," said Harry. "Gregorovitch, an old landlady of his, and Grindelwald."

"Grindelwald?" asked Dobby. "Professor Dumbledore was defeating him long time ago, Harry Potter."

"He was alive in prison until today."

Harry suddenly remembered where he had seen a flame-colored wand. It was Dumbledore's! He must have taken it from Grindelwald.

"Harry Potter is still needing Dobby's help?" Dobby asked.

"Yes, Dobby," said Harry. "You said you needed to go back to Hogwarts?"

"Dobby should, but Dobby stays to help Harry Potter if needing Dobby."

"Can you take me with you?" Harry asked. "I need to get onto the grounds of Hogwarts."


	3. The Sacking of Severus Snape

**Chapter 3**

"Harry Potter must not go to Hogwarts," said Dobby firmly, reminding Harry of the first time they met. "Death Eaters is watching, dementors is watching for Harry Potter."

"They won't know that you can bring me in by Elf-Apparating," said Harry. "We'll be under the Cloak of Invisibility."

"Still not safe for Harry Potter," Dobby said.

I have to get to something there before You-Know-Who does. If he gets it he'll be unbeatable," said Harry.

"Dobby gets it for you?"

"It would be too risky for you alone."

"Dobby is not liking this Harry Potter," said the elf. "House elves is never allowed to be bringing in people to Hogwarts."

"But as a free elf you can do it, right?" asked Harry. "This is war and Hogwarts is enemy-occupied territory. Whatever the security rules, we have to break them for a good cause."

"Harry Potter takes his Weezey and Hermione Granger?"

"No, Hermione is still too weak and Ron should stay with her," said Harry. He didn't say the other reason for leaving them out of this: he didn't have time for another argument about the Deathly Hallows.

"Dobby does it for Harry Potter," the elf said.

Harry covered them with the cloak. "Please take me near Dumbledore's tomb, Dobby. It shouldn't take me long to get what I need."

Secretly Harry had misgivings. Should he really be breaking into Dumbledore's grave? But it seemed to be what Dumbledore wanted him to do.

Dobby Elf-Apparated them and they arrived in the darkness next to the white tomb. Fortunately the nearest patrolling Death Eaters missed the sound of their arrival.

Harry cast a Muffliato, though he doubted it would cover what he was about to do next, "_Confringo_!"

The explosive curse gave a loud bang, but only caused a hairline crack in the white marble tomb. Harry heard shouts from the Death Eater guards.

"What was that?" yelled one.

"It came from the tomb area. Get the dementors over there," called another.

"Dobby, my spells aren't powerful enough and we're almost out of time," said Harry desperately. "Do you have magic that could break this tomb open."

"Harry Potter is breaking Professor Dumbledore's tomb?" asked Dobby in a shocked voice.

"Please Dobby, just help me," said Harry.

With a small sob, Dobby cast his own spell, which split the tomb wide open. Harry rushed forward and grabbed the flame-colored Elder Wand, which had been buried with Dumbledore.

Suddenly there was a whooshing sound above them. Severus Snape was flying without a broom, his black cloak spreading in the air like bat wings.

"I can't see you, Potter, but I know it has to be you," Snape said. "You shouldn't have come here."

"_Expelliarmus_!" said Harry, pointing the Elder Wand.

Snape raised a protective shield even before the words were out of Harry's mouth, but it did him no good. The powerful wand smashed through his defenses and sent his wand flying from his hand. Without it, Snape couldn't sustain his flight. He crashed to the ground on his face.

"Don't kill me," Snape groaned. "I'm on your side, I have information..."

"You murdering liar!" Harry shouted. "You can't fool me. I was there. I saw you murder Dumbledore with an _Avada Kedavra_."

The instant he uttered the last two words, Harry realized his mistake. The Deathstick was going to treat them as a spell. A bright green light flashed and struck the helpless Snape.

"No!" Harry cried.

Snape's eyes glared sightlessly. A silvery liquid poured from his mouth and soaked into the ground, wasted.

There were shouts all around now from the Death Eaters.

"Surround him!"

"He can't get away! Curse every inch around the tomb!"

"Stun only! Remember the Dark Lord wants Potter for himself!"

"Watch out! He's killed Snape!"

"Dobby, we have to get out of here," said Harry, but the little elf was no longer there. "It all must have been too much for him," Harry thought.

Dementors were crowding toward him. How was he going to get out? Only elves could Disapparate within the Hogwarts grounds.

Harry realized his only chance was the power of the Elder Wand. "_Expecto Patronum_! _Protego_! _Accio broomsticks_!" he yelled out as fast as he could.

Every spell worked perfectly in spite of his rush. His stag Patronus, brighter than it had ever been, drove back all the Dementors. Stunning curses bounced from the shield spell. All the broomsticks came to his feet, many pulled right from under the Death Eaters who were flying them.

Harry grabbed one of the broomsticks and flew as fast as he could, bobbing and weaving to dodge spells from the now-grounded Death Eaters. The moment he reached the boundary of Hogwarts he Disapperated in mid-flight back to Shell Cottage.


	4. Back to Shell Cottage

**Chapter 4**

When Harry emerged near Shell Cottage, still flying the broomstick, he saw Ron and Hermione on the beach below, calling out his name. He landed next to them.

"Harry, where have you been?" said Hermione, "We were worried sick. Next time you borrow a broom and go joyriding you should tell someone first."

"I've got the Elder Wand!" Harry announced proudly, showing it to them.

"What?" said Ron in surprise. "Wow! Way to go, mate."

"Where on earth did you find it?" asked Hermione.

"After I talked with Ollivander I realized the Elder Wand was Dumbledore's wand. It once belonged to Grindelwald, but Dumbledore got it from him when he defeated him," Harry said,

"Dumbledore's wand?" asked Hermione. "Then how... where was it?"

"It was buried with Dumbledore. I asked Dobby to Elf-Apparate with me onto the grounds of Hogwarts. Together we broke the White Tomb open and I got the wand."

"You broke into Dumbledore's grave?" asked Hermione in a shocked voice. "I can't believe you would do something like that."

"You-Know-Who was going to do it soon," Harry defended. "I beat him to it."

"But you're not him. You're on the good side and you just can't do things like that," Hermione protested.

"This is war, Hermione," said Harry. "Sometimes we have to get our hands dirty."

"Did you have any trouble? I heard Hogwarts is well-guarded," said Ron.

"A bit," said Harry. "I had to dodge a horde of Death-Eaters and dementors to get out. And I... I ended up killing Snape."

"You what? You killed Snape?" asked Ron.

"It was an accident," said Harry. "The Elder Wand did it. I accused Snape of killing Dumbledore, and I used the words of the Killing Curse while the wand was still pointed at him."

"Don't blame your wand again," said Hermione. "You have to mean an Unforgivable Curse."

"I hated him enough that it counted, I guess," said Harry.

"He deserved it, anyway," Ron said.

"He deserved to go to prison, not to be killed without a trial," said Hermione.

"We don't have an Azkaban to send murderers to any more," said Harry. "This is the best justice we can get in the middle of a war."

"It's horrible! You're turning into a different person," cried Hermione. "All this linking minds with You-Know-Who to find out what he's doing so you can beat him to it, it's making you just like him!"

Hermione ran back into the cottage, sobbing.

Ron watched her go, then turned back to Harry. "Between you and me, you did good. But I've got to take care of Hermione's feelings, too."

Ron ran back to the cottage, leaving Harry alone on the beach. Harry's scar burned, and he watched Voldemort's reaction to the news that he had been beaten to the Elder Wand and that his most loyal servant was dead.

It didn't feel as much like a triumph as Harry thought it would.

----

Later, Hermione came back out to talk with him. "I'm sorry, Harry. I shouldn't have said what I did. I still don't like it, but I have to accept that ugly things happen in war."

"I'm sorry I worried you by going off and getting the Wand without telling you," said Harry.

"That bothers me too," said Hermione. "You and Ron and I are supposed to be a team. You went off and did this on your own without even a note. What if you had been captured or killed out there? Didn't you think about that?"

"I know. I was wrong," said Harry. "I told myself it was because you were still suffering from the Cruciatus curses, but the real reason was that I knew you wouldn't approve."

"I almost felt like leaving tonight, going to join my parents in Australia. But then I remembered how terrible it felt when Ron left us. I couldn't do that to you. I'm committed, no matter how bad things get."

"Thank you," said Harry. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"What do you want to do next?" Hermione asked.

"I'm back on the Horcrux mission now," Harry said. "In the morning we can talk to Griphook and maybe persuade him to help us break into Gringotts. Bellatrix was so afraid about her vault that it makes me think she has a Horcrux there."

"That's a really good idea, Harry," said Hermione with a little smile. "Goodnight, we can talk about it more in the morning."


	5. Morning Paper

**Chapter 5**

At breakfast the next morning everyone was at the kitchen table but Griphook, who insisted he was too weak to come downstairs.

Bill showed them the morning's Daily Prophet.

"I can still get the paper through an anonymous owl drop. It's all rubbish, but it's sometimes useful to know what the enemy wants people to think. It looks like they've upped the propaganda against you, Harry. They also tripled the reward."

"**Undesirable Number One Kills Again**," the headline read.

Bill read aloud:

_Harry Potter, Undesirable Number One, has struck again. He staged a cowardly night attack on Hogwarts, broke into Albus Dumbledore's tomb, stole Dumbledore's wand, and murdered Headmaster Severus Snape in cold blood when he attempted to stop him._

_This new attack helps to clarify Potter's motive for the murder of Headmaster Dumbledore. Over the years, Potter has accepted as his due many magical artifacts from Dumbledore. Sources close to former Minister of Magic Scrimgeour say that Potter became very angry when the Ministry refused to turn over the Sword of Godric Griffindor, which Dumbledore left Potter in his will. Of course, that priceless artifact belongs to Hogwarts and was not Dumbledore's to give. It would appear that Potter decided to loot Dumbledore's grave for another treasure in compensation._

"What bilge!" said Dean Thomas in disgust. "As if Harry would do anything like that. Snape probably fell out of favor, so they offed him and put the blame on Harry."

Harry decided it would be prudent to say nothing for the moment. Luna looked at him intently, then looked away with a troubled expression,.

"Does it say who will be the new Headmaster of Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.

"Nobody could be worse than Snape," said Ron.

"Let's see..." said Bill. He read:  
_  
The new head of Hogwarts will be the experienced former Headmistress who was only removed from her position by the previous administration because of false rumors started by political enemies of Muggle blood: Senior Undersecretary Dolores Jane Umbridge._

"Oh no!" said Harry, feeling sick.

"Did I say nobody could be worse than Snape? I take it back," said Ron.

"It seems like a step down in power from Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission," said Hermione. "She won't enjoy running Hogwarts again after having such a bad experience with it last time."

"Well, she can't be that much in good favor after we rescued all those prisoners from under her nose," said Ron.

"Now she'll be twice as vicious to prove herself," said Harry. He imagined her using her blood-drawing quills to torture new Muggle-born students into admitting they stole their magic. Suddenly he had no appetite for breakfast.

"Looks like they're going after the house-elves, too," said Bill.

_It is believed that Potter had inside help to break through Hogwarts' security. All of the house elves are being interrogated, especially two (Kreacher and Dobby) who are known associates of Potter._

"Excuse me," said Harry, abruptly leaving the table.

Ron and Hermione got rushed after him and grabbed him before he could run out of the range of the protective spells around Shell Cottage and Disapperate.

"Let me go! I have to go back to Hogwarts and rescue Dobby and Kreacher!" Harry yelled. "It's my fault they're in trouble!"

"It's a trap, Harry!" cried Hermione. "That's what they expect you to do. You-Know-Who will be waiting for you!"

"I don't care," said Harry.

"Listen mate, you don't even know where they are," said Ron. "They could have been taken to the Ministry, or Azkaban. They might have got away."

"The best thing you can do for them is keep after the Horcruxes," Hermione said. "We have to defeat You-Know-Who to get things back to normal."

Harry glared at them, but he realized they were right. Even with the Elder Wand he was powerless to help the elves directly. The best thing to do was to go up and see Griphook.

Griphook gave them an angry scowl, "What do you want from me?"

"That's not very nice way to talk to us, after we rescued you," said Ron.

"You had your reasons, I think," said Griphook. "Wizards are all alike -- exploiting other races for what they can get."

"We're not like that," said Harry.

"I have good ears. I listened from the window last night," said Griphook. "Thank you so much for saving my life, Dobby. Now how about helping me with a spot of grave robbery?"

"It was for a good cause," Harry retorted.

"Now I suppose you want my help in breaking into Gringotts?" Griphook asked scornfully. "Is that for a good cause, too?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," said Harry.

"I don't care about your good causes and your wizard war," interrupted Griphook. "I won't do it, not even if you offered me the Sword of Gryffindor, which rightfully belongs to the goblins in any case."

"We weren't planning to," said Ron.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Griphook," Harry said. "Let me know if you change your mind. I'll take back the sword now."

The three adventurers walked glumly back down the stairs. Without Griphook, how could they ever get the Horcrux?


	6. The Sacking of Dolores Umbridge

**Chapter 6**

Suddenly, Harry felt tremendous pain from his scar. He rushed to the bathroom and locked the door so that his friends would not interrupt his vision of Voldemort...

He was standing in the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts. Dolores Umbridge was leaning over a map of Hogwarts spread out on the desk. Magical notations swirled on the map.

"As you can see, my Lord," Umbridge twittered, "We have the grounds completely covered by Caterwauling Charms and the students have been confined to their quarters. If Potter comes here, we'll catch him... and punish him."

But he was not looking at the map or paying heed to her words. His eyes were fastened to the locket dangling from her neck.

"Where did you get that locket?" he asked in a deceptively soft voice.

"It's an old family heirloom, my Lord," said Umbridge. "The S stands for Selwyn. I am related to the Selwyns."

"How dare you lie to me?" he shouted. "It stands for Salazar Slytherin. Where did you get it? _Crucio_!"

Umbridge screamed. "I.. I took it from an illegal street peddler."

"Who?"

"Mundungus Fletcher, my Lord. Please..."

Fletcher was of the Order of the Phoenix, a crooked traitor who had revealed the time of Potter's move to Snape for money. Voldemort permitted himself to relax a bit. However Fletcher had come by the locket, he didn't know what it was and he wouldn't have told the Order about it. The man would have to be caught and questioned, of course. Meanwhile...

"That locket is mine," he told Umbridge. "Give it to me if you want to live."

"Of course, of course," she said eagerly, holding it out to him with trembling hands. "I had no idea it was yours. Thank you for your mercy in letting me live."

He grabbed it. "I didn't say I would let you live. I just wanted the locket safe in my hands first. _Avada Kedavra_!"

The locket felt strange in his hands. He probed it with a spell and it disappeared with a pop. It was a Geminio copy, not his Horcrux! Had Fletcher made multiple fake copies to sell? Plausible, but any sensible buyer would test for that possibility.

His mind went back to the raid on the Ministry of Magic a few months ago. Umbridge had been attacked and knocked out. Could that raid have had another purpose besides freeing Mudblood prisoners and recovering Moody's eye?

He drew from his pocket the wand of the Mudblood, Hermione Granger. He had already run a Priori Incantatum sequence on each of the captured wands to see what Potter had been up to. Mostly it was a boring series of protective spells. He had stopped with satisfaction for this one when it showed the failure to repair Potter's broken wand. Now he ran it back further, counting day by day from the failed trap at Godrick's Hollow to the day of the Ministry raid.

There it was. The wand showed the illusion of a single locket becoming two. Now there was no doubt: they were after his Horcruxes! He screamed in rage and blasted at everything in the room. Fortunately for his other followers, Umbridge had been the only other person in the room.

He would have to keep Nagini close now, no longer send her on missions under his control. And he would have to check his other hiding places: the Gaunt cottage, the Gringotts vault, and here at Hogwarts. The last was closest, so he would check it first. The next closest was at Gringotts.

Harry broke from his trance and went back to Ron and Hermione.

"We're in real trouble now! He knows we're after his Horcruxes. There's one at Hogwarts, but after that he's going to Gringotts."

"Oh no!" said Hermione. "He'll move them to more secure places and we'll never find them."

Another rage-fueled vision filled Harry's mind. Voldemort was trying to get into the Room of Hidden Things, but the Room of Requirement wasn't responding to him. He tried over and over, and blasted spells at the wall, but nothing worked. "Dumbledore must have found the room, taken the Horcrux, and sealed the entry," he thought.

"He can't get into the Room of Requirement for Hidden Things," said Harry. "Somebody must be using it for something else, but he doesn't know that."

"That saves one Horcrux for us, but what about the Gringotts one?" asked Ron.

"Somehow we've got to get to it before he does, or we've lost," said Harry.


	7. Spirits

**Chapter 7**

"I have a better idea," Harry said. "I'll wait outside the bank under the Invisibility Cloak. When You-Know-Who comes out with the Horcrux I'll ambush him and take it."

"That's suicide, mate," said Ron. "Unbeatable wand or not, you can't stop a death curse."

"How do you know he won't leave it where it is?" asked Hermione.

"He'll interrogate Bellatrix and read her mind; she gave away that there's something important in the vault. The location's compromised."

"We'll just have to find it in the new place," Hermione said. "Dueling for it is too dangerous."

"That's hopeless," said Harry. "He could hide it anywhere in the world and keep moving it any time we get close."

"If he beats you he'll get control of the Elder Wand," said Ron.

Harry's spirits sank. Voldemort with the Elder Wand would be unstoppable. Then he had the glimmer of an idea. "I have all the Hallows. If I can unite them..."

"That's just a fairy tale, Harry," said Hermione. "You don't even know for sure that the Resurrection Stone is in the Snitch."

"There's a way to find out. I have the wand Dumbledore used to seal it."

Harry held the Elder Wand in his left hand, Draco's wand in his right. Pointing the second wand at the first, he said, "Priori Incantatum."

Images of the last spells he had cast with the wand began to emerge, starting with the oldest. Phantom broomsticks flew toward him, a magic shield appeared, and an illusion of his Patronus leaped. Too late he remembered what a Priori Incantatum would do with an Avada Kedavra.

Snape's phantom appeared before them. "Potter! Killing me was a mistake. I was on your side. I loved your mother."

"You murdered Dumbledore," Ron accused.

"I killed him at his request. He was already dying from the curse that disabled his hand."

"I still don't believe you're on our side," said Harry.

"Fool! Remember the white doe that led you to the Sword? That was my Patronus."

"What?" all three of them exclaimed in unison.

"Listen Potter: you have to let the Dark Lord kill you. A piece of his soul entered you the night your parents died, effectively making you his seventh Horcrux. Dumbledore knew that all along and never told you."

Harry cried out, "Lies! All lies!"

"You still don't believe me? Ask Dumbledore yourself. Put the Snitch to your lips and tell it you're about to die."

The phantom Snape faded away. Harry fumbled for the Snitch in the mokeskin pouch. He touched the Snitch to his lips and said, "I am about to die."

The Snitch popped open, revealing the Stone set in the ring. Harry turned the ring three times in his hand.

"Dumbledore," he summoned. The spirit appeared, more solid than a ghost but less real than a normal human.

"Is it true what Snape said? That I have to die to destroy him?"

"Alas, yes," said Dumbledore.

"You knew all along!" said Harry.

"I protected you from the burden of that knowledge," said Dumbledore.

"You bastard!" said Harry. "You pompous, manipulative bastard!"

"Who are you talking to?" asked Ron.

"There's nobody there, Harry," said Hermione.

"Only you can see me," said Dumbledore. "As for what you called me, I am all that and more. I was also a fool about the Hallows. I too tried to unite them. I put on the ring, forgetting for a moment that it was a cursed Horcrux, and it led to my death."

"If you didn't want me to go for the Hallows, why did you draw that symbol in the book you gave Hermione?"

"I was counting on Miss Granger to slow you down. I wanted you to know of the Hallows but also learn the wisdom not to seek them. I failed in that, and now you have fallen into the same mistake."

"I have to know if the Hallows can make me a Master of Death. I have to get that Horcrux away from You-Know-Who before he hides it again. If he kills me, won't he become the master of the Elder Wand?"

"Very probably, but letting him kill you is still the right thing to do. Trust me."

"Trust you? How can I trust you now? I'm going to ask the experts on the Hallows: I summon Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotius Peverell!"

"No Harry!" Hermione cried out. "They were all Dark Arts wizards!"

Three spirits in ancient wizard garb appeared before him.

"Thou seekest mastery of death. To be Master of Death, one must have the power to inflict death. This thou hast in my Wand," said the first, Antioch.

"Nay, to be Master of Death one must have the power to recall from death. This thou hast in my Stone," said the second, Cadmus.

"Both are wrong," said the third, Ignotius. "To be Master of Death, one must have the power to evade death. This thou hast in my Cloak."

"To be Master of Death is to accept death," said Dumbledore. "This requires no items of power at all."

"There is a way to use the three Hallows together, which will make one truly a Master of Death, able to resist even an Avada Kedavra," said Antioch.

"We designed them so, but in life we could never agree to share them, so each went his own way," said Cadmus.

"Dost thou wish this power?" asked Ignotius.

"On one condition," said Harry. "I want to be a Master of Death if there's a way to kill my enemy's spirit in me and still live."

"This can indeed be done," said Antioch.

"This is dark magic, necromancy," Hermione said. "I have to stop you. _Petrif_..."

"_Petrificus Totalis_," thought Harry, sweeping his wand over Ron and Hermione. Such was the power of the Elder Wand that one spell was enough to freeze both. He hated to do this to them, but he had to be able to carry this out alone, without interference.

"Harry, I cannot prevent you, but I advise you strongly against this choice," said Dumbledore.

"Tell me," Harry said to the Three Brothers.

They closed in around him, whispering their secrets. 


	8. Outside Gringotts

**Chapter 8**

Harry stood in Diagon Alley under the Invisibility Cloak on the opposite side of the street from Gringotts. Diagonal Alley was a miserable place now, plastered with propaganda from the new Ministry of Magic, including countless wanted posters for himself. Wandless wizards roamed the streets, begging for food.

There wasn't much time. He could tell through his mental link that Voldemort had forced Bellatrix to take him to her vault.

Harry was trying to nerve himself to carry out the instructions of the Three Brothers. Their spirits had followed him here. They were silently waiting: so was Dumbledore's spirit, standing further back than the others.

The first step was easy. All he needed to do was turn the Ring of Resurrection three times in his hand and say "Harry Potter."

The second step was harder. He had to point the Elder Wand at himself immediately and say "_Avada Kedavra._" He would have to think of things that caused him self-loathing, like his failure to save Cedric Diggory and the way Dobby had sobbed when Harry asked him to break open Dumbledore's tomb.

If he did this, the Peverells assured him, his spirit would be summoned by the ring and he would not die. The power of the Cloak would protect him and he would be able to re-enter his body and live, free of the Horcrux-spirit and immune to any future death-spells.

But what if they were mistaken, or lying? Then he would have thrown his life away without any chance to get the Gringotts Horcrux. The only consolation would be that his personal Horcrux would be gone. Antioch had also assured him that "dying" by his own hand would make his mastery of the Elder Wand permanent. Even if Voldemort got the wand it would be nothing but an ordinary wand to him.

It was a lonely decision, and he wished he could have his parents and Sirius there for reassurance. He realized that he could, but he remembered the story of the lover Cadmus had summoned who had suffered from being disturbed from the peace of death. So far he had only needed advice and explanations, and he hadn't worried about the comfort of the spirits he summoned. But this was different...

"Cadmus," Harry asked. "In the tale about you it says you summoned a woman you loved who had died, but that she was unhappy."

"Aye," said Cadmus. "My beloved Isolde longed to return to the other world, and finally I killed myself to release her and join her."

"Release her?" Harry asked. "Couldn't you just send her back?"

"Nay, that is a flaw in the power of the Stone. It can summon the dead, but it cannot dismiss them. Only the death of the summoner can do that."

"Wait a minute," said Harry. "I'm about summon my own spirit."

"It follows therefore that thou shalt never die," said Cadmus. "Thou shalt truly be Master of Death, as thou wished."

Harry felt a chill running down his spine. Never die? He thought about Ginny growing old while he remained the same.

"I would never die or age?" he asked in a whisper.

"Thy body will age, but thou shalt have the means to extend thy youthfulness," said Antioch. "As a mobile spirit thou canst move to a new body by possessing someone younger and weaker than thyself."

In his mind he saw the diary's Tom Riddle standing over Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets. What had he almost done? He could be Master of Death only by making himself another monster like Voldemort.

"NO! I won't do it!" said Harry. "I'll take Dumbledore's way."

The Three Brothers backed away, muttering to themselves about his weakness. Dumbledore nodded encouragement.

Harry saw through his link that Voldemort had delayed himself by greedily grabbing at the Horcrux, the Hufflepuff Cup, instead of letting Bellatrix take it. The vault's protective magic had caused it to spew out hot duplicates, burning his fingers. But he would be coming out with the Horcrux soon. Harry had only minutes to live.

He turned the ring in his hand and summoned James Potter, Lily Potter, and Sirius Black. They appeared as they had been in youth, confident and strong.

The love in his mother's eyes was radiant. "You've been so brave," she said.

"I can't just surrender," said Harry. "I can't let the Horcrux be hidden where my friends can never find it."

"Spoken like a true Gryffindor," said James with pride.

"Harry, my advice is to take as many Horcruxes with you as possible," Sirius said with a grin.

Harry grinned back at them and came up with a plan.

A few minutes later, the mind-link with Voldemort flared up again. Now the Dark Lord was between the inner and outer doors of Gringotts. Bellatrix was with him, and so was Nagini, in a protective magical cage.

"Now give me the Cup," said Voldemort. He couldn't wait an instant longer.

"Yes, my Lord. I live to serve you," said Bellatrix eagerly.

"Correction. You will die to serve me," said Voldemort. "_Avada Kedavra_!"

He transfigured the body into a bone and put it into his pocket. Nagini hissed her disappointment. He placed the cup into her protective cage for temporary safekeeping.

"Don't worry, my pet," said Voldemort. "I'll transfigure it back for you to feed on later. First we must get out of this place."

He pushed through the doors and Harry was ready with the Elder Wand. "_Expelliarmus_! _Accio Horcruxes_!"

The unbeatable Elder Wand broke through all of Voldemort's defenses. His wand went flying. Harry dropped the wand and wielded the Sword of Godrick Gryffindor. Both the Cup and Nagini were pulled from their defensive shell and came flying at him. With Quiddich-honed reflexes he slashed at the cup in midair, cutting into it with the Sword's basilisk-venom-poisoned blade. The cup screamed as its Horcrux died. Then Harry braced and let the snake impale itself on the blade.

Voldemort had by this time recovered his wand. "_Avada Kedavra_!" he shouted in fury.

Harry saw a flash of green light and everything was gone. 


	9. King's Cross

**Chapter 9**

Harry lay on his face in silence, in solitude. Before long he realized that there was a surface under him, and he opened his eyes to light. Everything seemed full of fog, but as he looked around it was as if the very act of trying to see created what he saw: something like the King's Cross train station, but bright, clean, and empty. He wearing no clothes and no glasses, but it didn't seem to matter.

Under one of the seats there was something moving and squawking. He came nearer and saw something like a baby, horribly scarred and with almost no skin. Something about it repulsed him. He wished he had clothing; as soon as he did, white robes appeared a short distance away. He put them on, wondering if this place was like a giant Room of Requirement.

"Am I dead?" he asked aloud, not really expecting an answer.

"That's a good question, my boy. On the whole, I think not."

Harry turned around and there was Dumbledore, looking just as he had when summoned by the Ring of Resurrection, except much happier.

"How can that be?" Harry said. "I should have died... I meant to let him kill me."

"Yes," said Dumbledore, "And that makes all the difference. Self-sacrificial love is a potent magical force. After doing all you could to destroy two of his other Horcruxes, you gave yourself to destroy a third."

"Did I do it? Is it gone?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes, that piece of Voldemort's soul is gone now," said Dumbledore. "One other thing helped save you. You know what Voldemort used to rebuild his body, don't you?"

"A drop of my blood," said Harry.

"Blood that your mother blessed by her sacrifice for you. By keeping part of you alive, Voldemort tied you to life."

"You knew this might happen!" said Harry. "Why didn't you tell me? I nearly lost my soul by taking the way the Three Brothers offered me. If I had known about this..."

"Then it wouldn't have worked," said Dumbledore. "It wouldn't have been self-sacrificing love on your part if you had that hope. That's why I didn't tell you, and I didn't tell Severus, either."

"I guess I understand now," said Harry. "I still don't really like how secretive you've been, but now I see why you had to be that way."

The thing under the chair gave another painful wail.

"What is that?" Harry asked.

"It is beyond our help," said Dumbledore.

"Where are we, anyway?" asked Harry.

"It's your show," said Dumbledore. "You tell me."

"It looks like King's Cross," said Harry.

"Fancy that," said Dumbledore with a chuckle. "I suppose if you chose to wait here, a train would arrive and you could go on. But you can also go back."

"What about the Elder Wand?" Harry asked. "Am I still its master, or is Voldemort?"

"It's a close call," said Dumbledore, "But I think from the wand's point of view you were in the middle of a wizard's duel and you chose to switch weapons to the sword. It can't read your mind. It will think you were defeated, and it will give its loyalty to the one who defeated you."

"Oh no!" said Harry. "With the Elder Wand, Voldemort will be unstoppable!"

"Not so much as you think," said Dumbledore. "As I said, self-sacrificing love is a powerful force. You gave yourself to save others from him, and that will blunt his attacks from this point on."

"But the Elder Wand breaks through all defenses," said Harry.

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "Without mastery of the Elder Wand he would now be nearly powerless to harm others. With it he's still dangerous, but no more than he was before."

"I was a fool to go after the Hallows," said Harry. "They've only made things worse."

"I fell into the same trap," said Dumbledore. "I too wanted to be Master of Death. Now we both see where it leads. But you are a better and wiser man than I. You asked Cadmus a good question, out of love, and it saved you."

"I have to go back now, don't I?" asked Harry.

"You have a choice. If you do, there's a good chance he'll be finished. I don't promise it, but remember that you have less to fear from coming here again than he does. Fewer families will be torn apart, fewer innocents will suffer, if his reign of terror ends. If that seems a worthy goal to you, then let us part for now."

"One more thing," Harry called as the station began to fade. "This was all in my mind, wasn't it?"

"Of course it was all in your mind," said Dumbledore. "But why on earth should that make you think it wasn't real?"


	10. Back to Diagon Alley

**Chapter 10**

Harry was lying face-down in Diagon Alley. He could feel the cobblestones pressing against his skin and smell the fresh-spilled blood of the dead snake that was lying on top of him. His right arm was stretched out, holding the sword. His other arm was at his side, under the Invisibility Cloak but pinned down by the weight of the snake.

"_Accio Elder Wand_!" he heard Voldemort call out, and a swish of rapid movement told Harry that Voldemort had called the Elder Wand successfully,

"You almost had me, Harry Potter," the Dark Lord said in a cracked voice. "You managed to destroy my last two Horcruxes. If you had time for one more spell you could have killed me. But I have triumphed! My prophesied nemesis is dead, and I control the Elder Wand!"

Voldemort began to walk toward him, then paused.

"I need to make sure he's dead," said Voldemort, and Harry braced himself. "_Crucio! Crucio!_"

Harry managed avoid screaming and remain limp even though pain blasted through his nerves. It wasn't quite as bad as the last time, after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Dumbledore was right: Voldemort's attacks were being partially blocked by the magic of Harry's self-sacrifice.

"I can't feel any connection to Potter's mind, either," Voldemort muttered to himself. "Good... he's dead. But he could be carrying some sort of booby-trap. I'd better call in Death Eaters to deal with the body... but first I must clean up the evidence of what Potter did. _Accio Cup! Accio Nagini_!"

Freed of the weight of the snake, Harry reached for Draco's wand with his left hand. His left arm was still under the Invisibility Cloak but he had to move carefully to avoid making any sound.

Harry had never before tried to Disapperate from a prone position, using his off hand, but he tried desperately now. He had to get away before Death Eaters came and got a close look at him. Without the Elder Wand this was going to be difficult.

"It's a good thing I sent my two Gringotts door guards away," said Voldemort to himself. "I didn't want them to see me taking away the Cup. Now I can transfigure Nagini and the Cup to hide the evidence of Potter's attacks."

While Voldemort was distracted with this task, Harry completed the Disapperation Spell. As he turned into the blackness, he felt something going wrong.

"Shell Cottage! Shell Cottage!" Harry thought over and over. This Disapperation was taking too long. Was he going to get stuck in the blackness between places?

When he finally came through to the rocky beach there was a pain in his left leg. He looked down and saw blood soaking his pant leg. He had splinched himself.

At least he had gotten away, Harry thought. He grinned as he thought how angry Voldemort would be. There was no longer a mental link so he wouldn't be sharing that moment.

He managed to hobble into Bill and Fleur's backyard before he fainted.

----

When Harry woke he was in bed in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Ron and Hermione were sitting at the bedside.

"Harry, are you awake?" Ron was calling. "How do you feel, mate?"

"Better," said Harry.

"Hermione told me to tell you she doesn't want to talk to you after that Full-Body-Bind curse you did on us. When it broke we thought you were dead."

"I'm sorry I did that to you," said Harry, "I thought I had to use the Hallows and you wouldn't let me. It turned it would have been a horrible mistake. I took Dumbledore's way instead."

"Dumbledore's way? I heard Snape's ghost say that was to let You-Know-Who kill you," said Ron.

"I did, sort of," said Harry. "But I got better. I'll explain more later. Right now we're one step ahead of You-Know-Who and we have to act fast. He thinks he has no more Horcruxes but we know there's still one more."

"You're in no condition..." started Ron,

"In condition or not, we have to get into Hogwarts," said Harry.  



	11. Aberforth

**Chapter 11**

"You realize you lost an inch-wide strip of flesh down your whole left leg?" asked Ron. "Fleur and Hermione have barely gotten you patched up with healing spells and essence of dittany, mate."

"I may not be in shape for any fancy broomstick flying," said Harry, "But I'm fit enough to go after the last Horcrux."

"What do you mean, the last Horcrux?" asked Ron. "There's still the snake and the Gringotts vault, besides the one you think's at Hogwarts."

"Not any more," said Harry. "I guess I'd better fill you in."

He told them everything, from the conversations with the ghosts (where they had only been able to hear one side) to his escape from Diagon Alley.

"One question, mate," said Ron. "You took a killing curse from You-Know-Who and survived. Does this mean you're immune to him for good?"

"Dumbledore hinted that it could only work once," said Harry. "Now that I have the hope that it could work, it probably won't."

"And you lost the Elder Wand," said Ron. "This is not good."

Hermione was stewing all through Harry's story. She burst out: "Why do you even have us along? We've been trying to help you for months and then all of a sudden you get this wild notion about the Deathly Hallows. Bing -- you go get the Elder Wand. Bang -- you summon Dark Wizards and make a deal to become Master of Death. Boom -- you're off to bring down two more Horcruxes and nearly die, leaving us in a Body-Bind. I can't stand this!"

"You're right," said Harry. "I've been a stupid git. I should never have gone after the Elder Wand. I honestly thought it would help the mission. But once I had it, the power went to my head. I thought that uniting the Hallows would give me enough power to solve everything without getting you into any more danger."

"We knew it was dangerous when we signed up for it," said Hermione.

"Also I was angry with Dumbledore for scheming up all of this and never telling me the whole truth. I thought I'd find another way, one where I didn't have to die, and show him. It turned out he was right after all. By going for the Hallows first, I ruined everything."

"You kept the Wand from You-Know-Who, for a little while at least," said Ron.

"I'm not sure he'd be master of the wand if I let him take it first," said Harry. "The way I figure it, I was already its master because I took the wand that disarmed Dumbledore, Draco's wand. The Elder Wand felt me trying to break into the tomb with that wand and took me to be the master who had come to claim it."

"It's still not a total loss," said Ron. "You took out two Horcruxes with it. Who knows if we could have done that without the Wand?"

"I bet we could have if we had worked together," said Harry. "Hermione, please forgive me. I'll be a team player from now on."

"All right," said Hermione. "I promised you that I'd stick with you no matter how bad things got. They got a lot worse than I expected, but I'll keep my word."

"What about getting into Hogwarts?" asked Ron. "They must have really tightened security now that you got in once."

"I have an idea about that," said Harry. "Dobby said Aberforth has the other side of my magic mirror. I'll see if we can communicate with time and if he can help."

Harry took out the fragment of mirror. "Aberforth, can you hear me?" He looked into the mirror and saw the piercing blue eye. "Blink once for yes and twice for no."

The mirror shifted from the eye to a white-bearded mouth. "Why should I do a daft thing like that when I can just talk?" the mouth asked.

"Aberforth, we need to get into Hogwarts," Harry said.

"No, you don't," said Aberforth. "What you need is to get yourselves out of the country, and save yourselves. You-Know-Who has won; that's all there is to it."

"Your brother Albus gave me a job to do," said Harry.

"An easy job, was it? Something an unqualified wizard could easily do? People who do what my brother wants have a habit of getting hurt," said Aberforth.

"It hasn't been easy, and I'm not innocent about how your brother manipulated people, Even if Rita Skeeter was right, if he was best buddies with Grindelwald and had something to do with your sister's death, it doesn't matter. The point is that this mission is worth doing. You-Know-Who has to be defeated and I'm not going to lie down and give up."

"Who said anything about giving up?" Aberforth asked.

"You-Know-Who has won; that's all there is to it," Harry quoted.

"You're young. You have your life ahead of you," said Aberforth. "You shouldn't have to lay down your life for this."

"I've already faced that once, and I'll do it again if I have to," said Harry.

"All right, I give up," said Aberforth. "Apperate to the back room of the Hog's Head Inn. I've got no customers now anyway. I'll help you get into Hogwarts."


	12. The Room of Requirement

**Chapter 12**

When they arrived at the Hog's Head Inn, Aberforth led them up the rickety stairs to a small sitting room with a fireplace. Above the fireplace was the portrait of a young blonde girl, who stared out at them vacantly.

"What happened to Dobby?" Aberforth asked. "I thought he'd stick with you after I sent him to get you out of the Malfoy's basement."

Harry looked down, ashamed. "He came back to Hogwarts with me yesterday night. He helped me get the wand out of your brother's tomb. I thought it would be a powerful weapon against You-Know-Who, but that hasn't worked out. I read in the Daily Prophet that Dobby is in trouble because of me."

"I read that too," said Aberforth. "But that paper's packed with propaganda and lies, so I wanted it straight from you. That's a pretty poor showing for a young hero, leading the elf who rescued you into crime and then leaving him in the lurch."

"I promise we'll rescue them if we get the chance," said Harry.

"I hope Dobby and Kreacher are all right," said Ron. "I used to hate Kreacher but he turned out to be a decent sort when you got to know him, and a great cook too,"

"They could still be at Hogwarts," said Hermione. "It looked like they were meant to be bait for a trap for you,"

"So you're walking into the trap with your eyes wide open, are you?" Aberforth asked.

"With Umbridge dead, I'm hoping their security will be in a bit of confusion," said Harry.

"Umbridge is dead? Couldn't happen to a nicer witch," said Aberforth with a grim smile.

"Aberforth, you said you could help us get into Hogwarts," said Harry. "What's the plan?"

"They're watching all the old secret passages," said Aberforth, "But there's a new one they don't know about. Ariana, open it up, please."

He spoke to the girl in the portrait, who turned and walked down a long painted passage. She returned with someone so battered and ragged that at first Harry had trouble recognizing him.

When they were large enough that their heads and shoulders filled the frame, the painting swung open like a door and revealed a rocky passage.

"Neville!" Harry cried.

"Harry! I knew you'd come!" said Neville with a roar of delight, jumping out from the hole behind the portrait to the floor. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all hugged him.

"You look pretty beat up, mate," said Ron. "What have they been doing to you?"

"Oh, this is nothing," said Neville. "Seamus is a lot worse. Shall we go, then? Ummm, Aberforth, a few more people are on their way."

"What do you mean, a few more?" demanded Aberforth. "You know Hogsmeade is being watched."

"No problem. They'll be Apperating directly to the bar," said Neville.

The four of them got into the passage and began walking.

"What's it been like here at Hogwarts?" Ron asked Neville.

"It hasn't been much like Hogwarts with Snape and the Carrows in charge," said Neville. "More like a boot camp for Nazi youth. Alecto Carrow teaches Muggle Studies and tells us how inferior the muggles and muggle-born are. Amycus Carrow teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts, except now it's just Dark Arts."

"How did you stand it?" asked Hermione.

"Well, Ginny and Luna and I revived Dumbledore's Army and led the resistance for a while. Now things have gotten too hot for us and we're in hiding. Now that you're here we'll take back Hogwarts."

Harry realized he hadn't thought past finding and destroying the last Horcrux. If an open rebellion against Voldemort began here then a lot of young people were going to die. He didn't say anything, but he began to wrack his brains for a way to prevent that from happening.

"Here we are" said Neville, bringing them into an enormous space full of hammocks and hung with the banners of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. It was also full of cheering students, many Harry knew and many he did not.

"HARRY!" they shouted. "POTTER'S HERE! It's Harry and Ron and Hermione!"

"Did you really kill Snape?" someone called.

"Yes," Harry said.

To his chagrin, this provoked more cheers.

"Where are we?" Harry asked to change the subject.

"The Room of Requirement, of course," said Neville.

"Yeah, Neville wished it into a proper hideout for us," said Seamus, coming forward from the crowd.

"That's a good thing," said Harry. "You kept You-Know-Who from getting to something he wants in the Room of Hidden Things. We need to find it, because it'll help us beat him."

"We'll all have to go out to switch it over," said Neville. "I wished that as long as any of us were here it would stay as it is."

"What exactly are you looking for?" Seamus asked.

"We really shouldn't say," said Harry. "It's supposed to be a secret."

"I think we should tell them," said Hermione. "They can help us find it. Remember you promised to be a team player from now on."

"Has anyone heard of a famous artifact, probably belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw?" Harry asked.

"There's the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw that my father is trying to re-create," said the voice of Luna Lovegood, behind them.

Harry turned and saw that Luna was not alone. Many members of the Order of the Phoenix were arriving (including Remus and Tonks), along with the Weasley clan (including Ginny).

"I called in some help, Harry," said Neville. "We'll need all we can for the fight."

"I wish you hadn't been so hasty," said Harry. "We have to get this thing we're looking for without alerting You-Know-Who, and all these people will make a lot of noise when they get out in the halls. I'd better check the Marauder's Map and see what the patrol situation is like."

He pulled the Map from his mokeskin bag and looked it over carefully. Student dots were confined to the dorms. Dozens of Death Eaters were roaming the halls and grounds, and the map also showed many unpronounceable names that were probably dementors. Deep in the dungeon he found dots for Dobby and Kreacher; Alecto and Amycus Carrow were with them.

"Oh-oh," Harry said suddenly.

"What?" asked Hermione.

Harry pointed to a single dot in the Headmaster's office. It was labeled "Tom Riddle."

**  
**


	13. Hidden Things

**Chapter 13**

"You-Know-Who has taken over as Headmaster of Hogwarts?" Ron asked in shock.

"Either that or he's using the Headmaster's room as a command center," said Harry. "This screws up everything."

"Why?" asked Neville. "With all of us here we can attack him by surprise and we'll have a good chance at killing him. It's just like the night Dumbledore died, in reverse."

Harry thought this was a poor analogy. It was one thing to surprise a confused, poisoned Dumbledore who intended to die anyway, and it was another to attack an alert, watchful enemy like Voldemort.

"We have to get the last Horcrux from the Room of Hidden Things to have any chance at all," Hermione said.

"What's a Horcrux?" asked Tonks.

"Never mind what it is," said Harry, "You-Know-Who can't be killed until we destroy it. But if everyone evacuates this hideout through the Hog's Head Inn, then a few of us could remain behind and switch the Room."

"That's risky," said Remus. "There are so many Death Eaters guarding Hogsmeade that they might hear us and catch on. It was a close call when we all came in."

"Who's watching Ted, anyway?" Harry asked Remus and Tonks a bit crossly. It seemed to him like they were ignoring his advice -- parents shouldn't leave their kids unless they have to.

"He's with my parents," said Tonks. "They'll take good care of him."

"Neville, you're a genius with the Room of Requirement," said Seamus. "Can't you just wish for the Room to give us this Horcrux thing without changing aspects?"

"It's not that simple," said Neville. "When I was alone and bored here I wished for an old book on Herbology I saw in the Room of Hidden Things. Instead I got a note. I have it here somewhere."

Neville rummaged in his pockets and produced a small scroll: "One aspect of the Room of Requirement may not act against another. The purpose of the Room of Hidden Things is 'I need a place to hide something.' It would be a violation of that Room's purpose to give you something without a request from the person who hid it."

"Without a request..." Harry said. "You-Know-Who was outside the entrance to the Room today, demanding that the Room let him in to get the Horcrux out. It wouldn't let him because you were in here. Could you use that?"

"I can try," said Neville. He addressed the room, "A man came to you today with the desire to remove an object he had placed in the Room of Hidden Things. He no longer wished it to be there. We wish to honor his request. Please give us the object and we will remove it."

The lights flickered for a moment and suddenly there was a shelf in the wall near Neville that had not been there before. On the shelf was the Tiara of Rowena Ravenclaw. Under the Tiara was another scroll.

Neville took it and read, "The Room will accept you as proxies for the one who made the request. Take this object and remove it at once. What happens to it once it leaves is not the Room's concern, but do not harm it while it is in my care, on the penalty of losing this Room of Refuge."

"It seems like the Room is taking our side," said Hermione. "It's bending the rules for us as much as it can."

Harry stepped forward and took the Tiara. "Thank you Neville, and thank you, umm, Room. Hermione, Ron: let's go down the passage to the Hog's Head Inn and take care of this."

When they got to the other end of the passage, the upstairs room in the Inn was empty. They heard Aberforth arguing with someone downstairs.

"I tell you, all that stamping and tramping you heard was my goats. I was moving them around upstairs. Why is none of your business," said Aberforth.

"They'll hear us if we Disapperate," whispered Hermione. "Let's try to deal with it quietly." She jabbed her wand at the Horcrux and whispered, "_Silencio_!"

Harry immediately stabbed the Tiara with the Sword of Gryffinfor. Unfortunately, Hermione's spell didn't work on nonhumans. The Tiara let out a hideous howling scream.

"That wasn't no goat!" cried one of the Death Eater town guards. "Come on, upstairs!"

Harry gestured for Ron and Hermione to enter the portrait passage first. He stunned the two who rushed in, but a third one took cover at the doorframe.

"It's Potter!" the Death Eater called.

Harry leaped back into the passage and the portrait closed. He hoped that Neville had wished the passage sealed to enemies of the Order.

Now Dumbledore's Army would have to fight their way out or stay trapped in the Room of Refuge. So much for taking Voldemort by surprise.


	14. Dungeon

**Chapter 14**

Ron and Hermione stopped in the passage to catch their breaths.

"Let's wait for Harry to catch up," Ron panted.

"I ruined everything," Hermione cried. "I should have known a Silenco wouldn't work on a Horcrux. Now we're doomed!"

"We're fine," Ron assured her. "They can't get in."

"And we can't get out," said Hermione. "This passage must be how they brought in food."

"I guess you're right. Food's one of the five exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration," said Ron.

"You remembered that?" asked Hermione in surprise.

"It was drummed into me by hungry experience," said Ron.

"All they have to do is set up watches in all the places we could come out," said Hermione. "We'll either get picked off one by one as we try to escape, or we'll starve to death."

"We're in deep bubotuber puss, aren't we?" asked Ron.

"Don't make me feel worse!" snapped Hermione. "Hold me."

For a few timeless minutes they held each other.

"Hey, where's Harry?" Hermione said. "He should have caught up by now."

They ran back down the passage, calling for him.

"Here's a note left on the floor," Ron said.

"Ron and Hermione," the note said, "I got us into this and I have to do something about it alone. Go back to the others and don't try to find me."

"He's done it again!" Hermione cried.

-----

Harry was wearing the Invisibility Cloak out of habit when he came upon his two friends talking. He was silent as horror sunk in. All these people had come together to fight because they thought he had a plan, and now they were all going to die: Neville, Seamus, George, Fred, Ron, Hermione, Remus, Tonks, Ginny, and so many others.

Harry had to do something about it, even if it meant dying for the second time today. He moved back along the passage toward Hogsmeade and whispered to the Room, "I need a passage branching off from here that will take me to the dungeon room where Dobby and Kreacher are being held. This passage needs to enter the room in a direction that the Carrows aren't looking, if possible. Also, protect it so our enemies can't use it to get to us, and conceal it on this end so that I can get through but my friends won't see it."

Harry felt along the wall and found an opening covered by the illusion of continuous rock. He dropped a note for his friends and then went down it. The passage was much narrower than the other passage and very dark; he could only see a short distance with his Lumos spell.

Before he was halfway to the dungeon a cold, clear voice echoed around him. "This is Lord Voldemort, speaking to the rebel students. I know where you are, trapped in the secret room where things are hidden. My followers have recovered an object that was precious to me that you helped Potter destroy. I am loath to shed magical blood and I am prepared to forgive if you will give me Harry Potter. Otherwise, you will be starved in your trap."

Harry proceeded, more convinced than ever that he was doing the right thing. When the passage dead-ended he felt around the walls and could find no door until he spotted the trapdoor in the floor.

He carefully lifted the trapdoor. Directly beneath him were Alecto and Amycus Carrow, facing back to back and looking in every direction but up. "_Stupefy_!" he called, nailing both of them in one shot.

He dropped down into the room and looked over to the wall where Dobby and Kreacher were chained. They were in terrible shape; it looked like they had received both beatings and Cruciatus curses. He cast "_Relashio_!" and their chains fell away.

"Master Harry... has come... for Kreacher. When Master Harry was not coming back to Master's house... Kreacher was obeying previous order... to work in kitchen at Hogwarts. Kreacher did wrong?"

"You did right, Kreacher," said Harry. "Evil people hurt you to get at me. It wasn't your fault."

"It was Harry Potter's fault that Dobby and Kreacher is being here," said Dobby with a shocking bitterness in his voice. "Harry Potter used Dobby to rob grave of Dumbledore!"

"You're right, Dobby," said Harry. "I did wrong and it's my fault the two of you were tortured. All I can do now to make up for it is to help you get away."

"Dobby must not be speaking that way... to Master Harry Potter," said Kreacher. "Master kind and good to Kreacher... giving to Kreacher locket of Master Regulus. Amycus Carrow took it... but Kreacher will always be remembering."

"And Dobby will always be remembering that Harry Potter freed Dobby," the other elf said. "Please forgive what Dobby was saying. Pain was making Dobby think wrongly."

"There's a passage up there that will lead you out of the dungeons," Harry said. "Go left when you reach the branching corridor and it will lead to friends in the Room of Requirement. If you're up to it, would you Apparate some of them away from here? Maybe Ginny..."

"Dobby and Kreacher is not having much energy, Harry Potter," said Dobby sadly.

"Never mind then, just get away yourselves if you can," said Harry.

"Master Harry is not coming too?" Kreacher asked.

"There's something else I have to do," said Harry.

He waited until the elves had gotten safely into the passage before saying, very deliberately: "Voldemort."


	15. Sacrifice

**Chapter 15**

Harry heard the voices of Death Eaters approaching.

"Someone broke the Taboo!"

"Do you think it's Potter?"

"I hope so. I want that reward!"

Suddenly the voices fell silent and a cold clear voice commanded: "Stay back. Leave Potter to me."

Voldemort entered, looking triumphant. Harry found that his scar no longer burned in the Dark Lord's presence: that must have been a side effect of the soul-piece he no longer held.

"The Boy Who Lived," sneered Voldemort. "You've lived only by luck and because others died for you. There's nobody to hide behind now."

"I didn't hide behind anyone last time."

"You did. My killing curse must have hit poor Nagini, dying on your sword blade. You were pinned under her weight and chose to play dead until I removed her from you."

"Your curse hit me and I survived."

"I can no longer enter your mind after our little encounter at the Ministry of Magic, but don't think you can fool me with absurd lies. Nobody shrugs off a killing curse."

Harry remained silent. He knew he didn't dare to hope it would happen again. That would spoil any tiny chance it might work. But how could he keep from hoping?

"I should have known you weren't really dead when the Elder Wand failed to serve me any better than my normal wand. When I kill you the mastery of the Wand will be mine at last."

Harry heard a soft sound directly above him. Was Kreacher or Dobby listening through the trapdoor? He didn't dare to look up. He tried to keep Voldemort distracted.

"Do you know how I got mastery of the Wand?" Harry asked.

"I imagine it was because you killed Snape, who killed Dumbledore. But go ahead, spin your tale for a few more minutes of life." It seemed Voldemort's curiosity was aroused.

"I used the Wand to disarm Snape when his defenses were up. I killed Snape by accident when I accused him of Dumbledore's murder and quoted the words of the killing curse."

"So the Wand accepted you as master just because you picked it up first after Snape failed to do so?"

"That's what I thought at first. Then I found that Dumbledore's death wasn't a real defeat. He asked Snape to kill him. Snape has been Dumbledore's man from the moment you threatened Lily Potter."

"I underestimated Snape's emotional weakness, but it makes no difference what pathetic obstacles they tried to put in my path. I've won."

"You've been weakened and it's only a matter of time before you lose. I proved it doesn't take killing to become master of the Elder Wand. I got it just by disarming Draco, who disarmed Dumbledore. You're already master of the Wand and it's helping you as much as it can. You're weaker."

"I don't believe you. This is a pack of lies meant to scare me into sparing you."

"Try your old wand sometime and see. You'd better try for some remorse before it's too late. I've seen what will happen to you if you don't."

"I've heard enough of your lies. It's time for you to die. _Avada..._"

With a pop a small figure dressed in a towel appeared in front of Harry. It hovered in the air, quivering with effort as it kept between Harry and Voldemort.

"._..Kedavra!_" It was too late for Voldemort to stop his spell. The green light struck the elf, who fell to the ground.

"Kreacher!" Harry cried.

"So that's what you had up your sleeve," Voldemort said with an evil laugh. "You had your elf slave ready to take a hit for you."

"I didn't command him," said Harry. "He did this on his own."

"You think this duplicates the situation the night your mother died for you, don't you? Elves are bound by magic to protect their masters. It's not love."

"I thought it would be close enough," said Harry, looking crestfallen.

"You're lucky I didn't fall for your little ruse. If I did, I'd find a way to kill you that wouldn't rebound on me, like chaining you up here to die of thirst. But I want quick mastery of the wand and I want your body to show the rebels to get them to surrender. Maybe I'll make you into an Inferius. My necromancy has advanced to the point where I can create Inferi with sufficient mental ability to cast spells, but subservient to me. It's a handy way to make use of those I kill, now that I no longer need to feed Nagini."

"You'll spare my friends?" Harry asked

"I'll spare those that swear loyalty to me. I do hate spilling pure blood. But your mudblood woman accomplice and her blood-traitor lover will die. I'll make them Inferi too."

"No!" cried Harry.

"Good. I like to see my enemies despair before they die," said Voldemort. "For the last time: _Avada Kedavra!_"

The spell rebounded from Harry and hit Voldemort squarely in the chest. He collapsed to the floor like an empty sack.

Harry knelt and cradled the body of his dead friend who had dressed in the towel of a slave to fool Voldemort. Harry had realized why and played along.

"Thank you for what you did for me," Harry sobbed. "Thank you, Dobby!"


	16. The Battle of Hogwarts

**Chapter 16**

Harry decided to get out of the dungeon room and back to the Room of Requirement as quickly as he could. The death of Voldemort would demoralize the Death Eaters, but he didn't expect all of them to run without a fight. Some might choose to take revenge on the Hogwarts students.

Harry took the Elder Wand and tried a Wingardium Leviosa to lift the body of Dobby up through the trapdoor. It worked, but the Wand wasn't as powerful as before.

"The one who really defeated Voldemort is Dobby," Harry thought. "He died the master of the Elder Wand so it'll never be anything but an ordinary wand from now on."

Kreacher was in the passage above, "Master Harry, Kreacher wanted to be the one to die for Master, but Dobby was not letting Kreacher do it. Dobby saying he owed to Master Harry for doubting him. Dobby took Kreacher's towel to pretend to be Kreacher."

"His plan worked," said Harry. "Voldemort thought he was you and felt free to attack me with a death curse. He thought the sacrifice for me wasn't really out of love and so he was safe."

"Would have been love even if Kreacher did it, Master Harry."

"I know, Kreacher, but Voldemort didn't know anything about love and that's what killed him. Let's go ahead to the others now."

"Kreacher has nothing to wear, Master Harry. Dobby is having his towel."

"Dobby's clothes must be up here. You may wear those."

Kreacher gave a sharp gasp. "Master giving Kreacher clothes? Kreacher has failed Master, being sent away?"

"I'd like you to be free, but I won't send you away. I'll gladly pay you to work for me."

"Master Harry is so, so kind and Kreacher thinking about it. May Kreacher be having towel back for now?"

"All right," sighed Harry.

They walked back to the Room of Requirement, where Dumbledore's Army was looking lost and demoralized.

"Voldemort is dead!" Harry shouted, and the room echoed with cheers, the loudest of which were from Ron and Hermione.

"Harry! I thought I'd never see you again!" Ginny cried, grabbing him in a bear hug. "You did it!"

Harry squeezed her back but then pulled away. "It's not over yet. We have a fighting chance to take back Hogwarts. With the Marauder's Map we can figure out where they are and how to ambush them."

"May I see that map?" asked Kingsley Shacklebolt. "I'm leader of the Order of the Phoenix now."

Harry gave the Map to Kingsley. It looked like many of the Death Eaters had sensed through their Dark Marks that Voldemort was dead. The Map showed them fleeing the grounds of the castle as quickly as they could. Others could be seen gathering to fight.

"I'll ask the Room for an exit around the corner from that group," said Neville.

"I'm ready," said Ginny. "Let's go get them!"

"Hold on," demanded Molly Weasley. "You're under-age and I won't let you risk yourself. Fred and George, stay and keep an eye on Ginny and the other young ones."

"It's not fair," Ginny cried.

"Too right," echoed Fred.

"We want to fight too," said George. "We brought a supply of joke stuff that will wipe those buggers out."

"Ginny, please stay back," Harry pleaded. "I don't want you in danger."

"I will on one condition: you stay back with me," said Ginny stubbornly.

"But I have to..." Harry started to say.

"No, you don't. You've done your part and fulfilled the prophecy. Let others be heroes for a change. You look exhausted, dead on your feet."

Harry yielded. Now that he let himself feel it he really was tired. He sat beside Ginny on one of the hammocks.

The rest of that day Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix staged commando raids on the Death Eaters. The perfect locations provided by the Marauder's map made up for their small numbers.

The battle was not without casualties. Hagrid and his half-brother Gawrp charged down from their cave in the mountains and were killed by a group of fleeing Death Eaters. George was killed in an ambush. The Inferius that Voldemort made from Bellatrix killed Remus (who jumped in the way of an Avada Kedavra meant for Tonks) and she barely missed Arthur Weasley with a killing curse before Molly attacked and destroyed her, shouting "NOT MY HUSBAND YOU BITCH!"

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy went to Draco and his friends and kept them out of the fight. They had enough of Voldemort and his followers and knew it was time to change sides.

As the day went on more and more of the teachers and the other Hogwarts students joined them. By nightfall all the remaining Death Eaters had been killed, captured, or driven out.

"What will you do with the Deathly Hallows, Harry?" Hermione asked him after the battle.

"I'll bury the Stone somewhere so it'll never be found. I'll keep the Cloak; it's a family heirloom. The Wand should be buried with Dobby, the last master of it. I'll make sure he gets the credit for destroying Voldemort, too."

Without their leader, Harry knew the reign of terror of the Death Eaters would soon be over. He could finally hope for a normal life, to marry Ginny and raise a family. All would be well.


End file.
